Analogia Project by Andrea Mancuso & Emilia Serra

At Design Days Dubai 2013, the Italian design duo Andrea Mancuso and Emilia Serra will present a unique installation as part of The Analogia Project series. The first of its kind to be seen in the region, Analogia explores the manifestation of the imaginary, in its transient state of flux; it is a drawing in the air that traces the fine line between abstract thought and concrete reality.

Through the use of simple materials juxtaposed to the use of digital technologies, the experimental approach of The Analogia Project is characterised by the fusion of tradition with innovation, artisan crafts with computational software, age old materials with contemporary technologies. The effect is ethereal as the pieces connect and merge with the space in which they exist. This presentation of 'The Analogia Project' installation, made especially for the second edition Design Days Dubai will reference the origins of modern design. Iconic design pieces - a Le Corbusier chaise longue, a Mackintosh chair and the Noguchi table - form the focal points of the performance that reflects on the importance of this period in contemporary design. The visual impact of the three dimensional ‘sketch’ will challenge conventional spatial representations and the viewer will be urged to reconsider their perception of the familiar objects they embody.

A few words about Analogia Project and the designers duo

The Analogia Project is the result of a long-term collaboration between Andrea Mancuso and Emilia Serra. They met while studying and working at the Royal College of Art in 2008. Their different backgrounds have allowed them to experiment a visual language able to explore at the same time both the space and the objects, which merge becoming part of a unique entity. The complex relationship existing in a room between space and objects and how to express it to the viewer, in particular in the context of an exhibition space, are the pivot topics of their formal and visual research.

Andrea Mancuso is a designer with a long experience as furniture and lighting design and is part of Nigel Coates Studio’s team. From Hypnerotosphere, an installation presented at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008, he has been involved in many other projects with links to Alessi, AVMazzega, Ceramica Bardelli, Frag, Fratelli Boffi, Poltronova, Slamp, Varaschin and Swarovski. A subtle irony and sense of discovery are essential signs of his design language that combines craft techniques with digital knowledge.

Emilia Serra is an Italian architect and has a wide range of experience in exhibitions, installations and interior design. She is currently doing a PhD in Design Products, Royal College of Art, focusing on Design and Archaeology. Experimenting with materials and combining new technologies with traditional techniques are key points of her research approach. Emilia is a consultant on design research: she has experience in design-led strategies and cultural development projects delivered in Italy and UK.

Note: images are from Milan Start art fair 2012